As part of its goal to become a center for renewable energy and green technology research and education, Florida Gulf Coast University has joined the John D. Backe Foundation in a collaborative venture to create Florida Gulf Coast University Innovation Hub, a 1.2 million square-foot, state-of-the-art research and development area.

University President Wilson Bradshaw has announced a $1 million gift from John Backe, Sr., president of the Backe Foundation Inc., to establish the Backe Chair in Renewable Energy Endowed Fund. The fund’s purpose is to attract a nationally renowned scholar dedicated to the study of renewable energy.

The research park will be located on 241 acres adjacent to and on the south side of Southwest Florida International Airport, and near FGCU’s main campus and Gulf Coast Shopping Center.

“The location of the facility as a literal ‘hub’ to the region made it easy when it came to figuring out what we wanted to call it,” said Rich Galvano, owner of Galvano Development, the developer of the project.

FGCU plans to build a facility at the Innovation Hub to study renewable energy, solar energy, alternative energy sources, biotechnology, green technology and other programs.
Construction is slated to begin in the near future with the construction of a 50,000-square-foot facility.

One of the primary goals of the initiative is to attract businesses and universities with an interest in renewable energy, and spur growth in green jobs, all of which are good for the region, the state and its residents. As more people realize the value of green initiatives and the vital importance of renewable energy, initiatives like the I-Hub and the work that will be conducted at FGCU will play an exciting role in the future growth and prosperity of the region and the state.